Melinda wrote in and asked, “I need closing techniques. I need a sales script that focuses on selling value and any other tips for sales. A good fact finder would be nice!”

You know the old quote Always Be Closing? Technically that is true, but you must first get the client to like you. Here is the article that shows you how to do that: How to Get People to Like you.

Then you have to focus on how the client decides to buy. This is often overlooked. Everyone makes the decision to buy in different ways, and today I’ll explain how they do this. These question’s can be put together to create one heck of a good fact finder!

What is Meta-Programming?

We all follow a series of patterns when we do anything. We study a client’s high level meta patterns to figure out how they:

Reason

Gather Information

Decide on Preferences

Deal with Stress

Emote

React to Situations

Make Decisions

Example Pattern

When I’m thinking about buying something I:

Read reviews online

Compare the item to other item’s I’ve bought

Focus many of my buying decisions on what the product looks like

Gather as much information as I can on the product

Recall my past experiences with products similar to this product

Think about problems this product will solve

Focus first on the cost, then the quality, and finally convenience of the product

Why Apple Sells More Phones than HTC

Hypothetically, let’s say I’m going to use this pattern to make a new cell phone purchase. This is why HTC puts out phones that don’t sell and Apple sells out.

Here is the ad for the new HTC Evo 4G and why I’m not interested, even though it might be a better phone.

1. They provide little to no information on the phone
2. They provide no way for me to compare it to other phones
3. They only provide 6 flat pictures and no video of the phone
4. I buy based off of past experiences, and they don’t allow me to do that
5. They don’t provide enough information on problem’s this product will solve
6. They don’t provide the cost, the number one reason I make a decision to buy
7. I’m unsure of the quality of the product, because not enough info is given

Here is the Apple iPhone 4 ad.

1. There is a never ending supply of information on the iPhone

2. There is an easy way for me to compare it to other phones and products I already have

3. They provide 8 video’s and a never ending supply of photo’s

4. They compare the iPhone to products I own, so it’s easy to compare it to products I’ve experienced in the past

5. They provide numerous problem solving tool’s

6. The cost is available on every single page

7. How Other People Decide to Buy

Everyone decides to make a purchase by going through similar patterns. If you figure out how they make this decision and present to their pattern, you make the sale. I wrote a huge article on every meta-program in Indirect Hypnosis: NLP Meta-Programs, but I’ll focus on the most important ones here.

Chosen Representational System

A customer will only believe your product is right for them if you present using their chosen representational system. Our patterns are built primarily on visuals, what we are told, and using the product.

If the client is using adjectives that focus on visuals, you should do the same:

Color

Two or Three Dimensional

Location

Distance

Size

Brightness

Contrast

Or, audio (Auditory):

Volume (Loud or Soft)

Sounds

Tone

Tempo

Distance from sound

Clarity (clear or muffled)

Continuity

Or, feelings (Kinesthetic):

Pressure

Textures

Intensity

Weight

Temperature

Shape

Emotions (I Felt)

You can also identify their chosen representational system in buying, by asking:

What lets you know that you can believe a product is right for you?

Do you value a product because it sounds right, looks right, or feels right?

How Long Till They are Ready to Buy

People differ concerning how many times something must jell with their representational system before they make decisions as well. For some people, something must feel right (Kinetic) in their chosen system just once, other people require it to sound right (Auditory) many times before they make a decision. Most people make decisions because they look right (Visual Convincers: 50% – 75%), sound right (Auditory Convincers: 15% – 35%), Makes Sense (Self Talk Convincers: 3% – 15%), and Feels Right (Kinesthetic: 12% – 15%).

To find out how many times someone needs convinced, just ask them: “How many times does something have to prove itself before you are convinced?” “How many times do you need to see, hear, read or do something before you think you are competent in using it?” 8 – 10% of people assume something will be right for them, unless proven otherwise. 50% of people can be persuaded to believe anything if you just present believable information, in their chosen representational system enough times (Repetition Requirements).

Other people, 25% of society, makes decisions purely based on their own personal time requirements being met. Once they feel that they have thought about something long enough they will make a decision.

If someone says they will get back to you in three months, they normally mean dramatically less time than that. If you contact them, in say three weeks and reference that it feels like three months since they have talked with you, they will probably agree that they are ready to make a decision now.

15% of people are almost never convinced of almost anything. These are the people that go threw life mistrusting most people. The only way to try and convince these people is to tell them that you are aware that they will never be convinced and that no time will feel like the right time to try something different, so why don’t they try it out today?

Who Can Help you Sell the Client

People also are persuaded to buy mainly by:

Sorting it out themselves

Getting opinion’s from people they know

Getting opinion’s from experts they don’t know

If they sort it out themselves, re-enforce that attitude by saying (using visual client):

You can see the quality of the product

Compare the product to others, through photos

If they are sold by other’s opinions, if you have established good rapport, you are that person:

Explain why you think the product is best

Get others to explain why it’s best

Get others with them to note positive qualities

If they are persuaded by expert opinions:

Your probably an expert

Give testimonials

Show them reviews

To find out who can help you sell the product ask:

When making decisions do you trust your gut, or do you rely on other peoples opinions?

Are they Interested in the Specifics or the Generalities

You must quickly figure out whether the client is interested in the specifics or the general picture. Specific people will think your trying to trick them if you gloss over the features. General people will get bored if you don’t get to the point.

Right at the beginning of the presentation ask, “what do you prefer the big picture or the details?” Then act accordingly.

Are they Persuaded by Solving Problems or Achieving Goals

If you ask, “What are you looking to get from this product?”, they’ll tell you how to sell them. If a person wants to eliminate problems, focus on how your product will do that. If they focus on using your product to achieve a goal, do that.

Do they Want a Presentation or Do they Want Control

If the customer is firing question’s at you, they want control so let them have it. If you try and wrestle control from them they will fight with you. Instead probe them for additional question’s.

If they instead are waiting their turn, they want a show. Pull out the whole presentation and don’t stop until they say yes!

Cost, Quality or Convenience?

To me cost is always most important, but remember you aren’t selling yourself, you are selling the customer. The easiest way to find out what matters most to them is to show them a triangle like I have here.

Now ask them to place a dot that represents what is most important. Then act accordingly.

Handling the Customers Question’s

While you are conversing with a customer they will either:

1. Disagree with what your saying

2. Compare your product to another, probably a competitor

To deal with the disagreeables, just suggest the opposite. Say, “Here is the perfect product for you, but you probably can’t afford it!” They will then proceed to explain how they can afford anything if it is the right product.

People who compare your products to others just process information by comparing similarities. They like that with which they are already comfortable. Don’t fight with them and say they are wrong!

If they say something like, “A television is a television, so I’ll get the cheap one.” Get them to talk about things that are worth spending more on. Get them to explain why they made their last big purchase. If you have gone over the above question’s, you should know how to handle this issue as well.

That’s All Folk’s

If you don’t work with the customer to help them buy a product, they won’t. It’s really amazing how we can get people to agree with us, if we just present information in a way that is comfortable.